Carachure bound over to grand jury

MURFREESBORO — After less than an hour of testimony in his preliminary hearing in general sessions court Tuesday afternoon, Juan Carlos Carachure, 23, of Nashville was bound over to the Rutherford County Grand Jury.

Carachure was arrested March 1 and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in connection with the Feb. 7 shooting death of 20-year-old Tijuandre Garrett.

Murfreesboro Police Det. Larry Maples testified how the investigation led to Carachure and Justin Woodard, 25, of Nashville, who was arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy.

He said he arrived to find Garrett on the ground, bleeding from gunshot wounds in his arm and chest. Later, Maples demonstrated how the wounds were made by one bullet, going through Garrett’s arm and into his chest.

"Two witnesses were at the scene,” said Maples. The two women told him they had a partial tag number and a description of the car, Maples said.

The detective told the court he also found a flip phone on Garrett and was able to determine phone calls received, drug transactions and locations. He said they were also able to “ping” Garrett’s second phone, an iPhone Carachure took when he left the scene, and determine its location.

Using the names and numbers in the phone, the police cross-referenced with phone records and vehicle registrations, and one suspect, Woodward, matched the car, the tags and a security video taken at a nearby Mapco, Maples said.

Defense attorney Dan Warlick voiced an objection when Maples referred to information Carachure provided in his interview with the police, dismissing it as hearsay, but then allowed Maples to repeat it.

Maples said Carachure told him he had shot Garrett in self-defense. Carachure had arranged to meet Garrett to sell him a half-pound of marijuana for $1,675, charging $75 more than usual because he had to drive the marijuana down from Nashville, Maples said.

The detective said Carachure told him he saw the other man bend over, as if to pick up the marijuana, but Garrett pulled a gun out instead and swung the .40-caliber Glock at his head instead.

Maples demonstrated with Assistant District Attorney J. Paul Newman how Carachure said the shooting went down, with the suspect knocking Garrett’s hand out of the way, then drawing his own gun, a .38, and shooting him.”

“What makes you think this wasn’t self-defense?” asked Newman.

“It was inconsistent with his wounds,” said Maples. He added that Carachure said Garrett dropped to the ground immediately after being shot, but the blood splatter indicated Garrett remained standing for some time.

“The wounds don’t match the story,” Maples said.

“Are you a blood spatter expert?” Warlick asked.

“I am not,” said Maples.

The defense questioned Maples about whether there had been any previous bad history between Carachure and Garrett, any old grudges that might have been motive for a shooting.

“I know nothing of a prior relationship,” said Maples.

Warlick also questioned the aggravated robbery charges, saying that the only thing that appeared to be stolen was the cell phone, which Carachure said he threw away only a few miles away.

“Did Mr. Carachure indicate to you (Maples) that there were drug transactions on that phone?” asked Newman later. ”Might that be why he took the phone?”

Maples also said neither drugs nor money were found at the crime scene.

General Sessions Judge Barry Tidwell said he believed there was probable cause for both cases and bound them over.